Chhatra Dal blames Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Shibir for Kuet attack

The attack at Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET) was allegedly orchestrated by members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Islami Chhatra Shibir, Chhatra Dal claimed at a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, held at Dhaka University’s Teacher-Student Center (TSC), Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin said, “Every major fire in Bangladesh starts with a small short circuit. Yesterday, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s unruly mob initiated such an act. The attack was led by Convener Omar Faruq and monitored from the center by Hasnat Abdullah.”

Nasir further claimed that Chhatra Shibir members, fearing exposure after recent mass uprisings, carried out the attack on Chhatra Dal members. According to him, when injured students sought refuge in local shops, the attackers turned on the shopkeepers as well, triggering a violent clash with residents.

Chhatra Dal leaders said that the violence began during a rally organized under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. They accused KUET committee convener Omar Faruq of instigating the rally, which they claim unexpectedly turned into an assault on Chhatra Dal supporters.

Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam said, “Based on victims’ testimonies, media reports, images, and videos, we found that the first attack came from that rally.” He reiterated that as injured students tried to escape, they were assaulted again, leading to retaliation from local residents. This escalated into a full-blown clash at the KUET gate, lasting for about an hour.

Chhatra Dal announced that a three-member investigation committee had been dispatched to KUET to probe the incident. While they acknowledged that conclusions should not be drawn before an official administrative report is released, their written statement directly accused Chhatra Shibir, Hasnat Abdullah, and KUET convener Omar Faruq of orchestrating the attack.

They also clarified that Chhatra Dal does not have an active committee at KUET and that the three students who were attacked were regular students. Therefore, they argued, blaming Chhatra Dal for the violence was a deliberate attempt to tarnish their image.